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Politics & Government

Education Budget to Slash Jobs, Increase Teacher Responsibility

As budget goes through reconciliation process, parents and teachers plead with council to rearrange funds at public hearing.

Staff reductions and increased class sizes are expected for county schools to adhere to the new fiscal year 2012 budget, but local parents are clearly still disturbed by the changes after a public hearing in Upper Marlboro last night.

“My youngest is going to third grade next year, and I would hope that the middle school program would be as good as it is now when she gets there,” Andre Nottingham, a parent of two students, said before the county’s Board of Education. “But some of these changes are going to have a consequential impact on curriculum and programming.”

The $1.6 billion budget, which was adopted in February and approved in May, is now in reconciliation.

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Last night’s public hearing in Upper Marlboro included more than 30 concerned parents, eight of whom briefly pleaded with the council to reconsider the budget.

The approved budget contains roughly $10 million more than last year’s operating budget, the county council has said, allowing the county to save the Head Start Program and , in addition to maintaining funds for transportation.

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But the budget will also decrease the number of library media specialists, cutting about 90 full-time slots.

Parents and teachers alike expect class sizes to cap at about 40 students, while more teachers will be asked to teach out of their specialty areas. Athletic directors in particular have been asked to handle more tasks in addition to their athletic operations.

“Some of us are still without a definite assignment [next year] let alone what our job description will be,” said Andria Bynum, an athletic director. “Our position is being reduced to almost a non-factor in the school system.”

Representing 22 directors in the county, Bynum said athletic directors would be required to stay at school all day and night, with little intermission to grade papers and set lesson plans. That, she added, would be unfair to the students.

Others questioned the new costs associated with the Confucius Institute at Paint Branch Elementary School, citing programs still in need of funding.

At the John Hanson Montessori School, many arts programs are being cut, said Tamara Brown, a parent from Clinton and commissioner of the county’s Redistricting Committee.

Despite a proven track record of success, Brown added, the school has had to beg for funds for improvements that have yet to materialize. The Confucius Institute on the other hand, she said, will run about $6,500.

"We are tired of coming to you to defend our program."

Amy Hanson, the President of Greenbelt Middle School’s PTA, was as equally direct.

“I’m a bit startled and a little bit angry about two new programs that cost a lot of money,” she said, later adding: "With so many cuts, it’ll cost every other student a good education."

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